A Jet Airways aircraft with 120 passengers onboard that met with an accident while landing at Mumbai airport on Thursday night was exposed to further danger as the commander did not opt for emergency evacuation though there was a high risk of the plane catching fire. The aircraft had come to a halt tilting right with the right engine touching the ground. The passengers and eight crew members remained inside flight 9W 354 from Delhi for nearly 40 minutes even as fire engines sprayed foam on the stranded plane. Major sparks were emitted from under the engine as it scraped the ground during landing. Later, they were asked to disembark using a stepladder.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an inquiry into the incident.
“From the pictures of the accident, it’s evident that during the hard landing, the right-hand main wheel assembly of the aircraft collapsed,” said Capt Mohan Ranganathan, a former member of the government’s Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council. A part of the collapsed wheel assembly pierced through the wing and protruded from its upper end. Usually wings of an aircraft carry fuel tanks, but luckily for the Jet passengers, the fuel tank of their aircraft was not pierced. From passenger accounts, it is clear that the factors that could cause a fire outbreak, like sparks, were present.
Jet Airways issued a statement saying that the flight reported a technical fault with the main landing gear after landing in Mumbai at 9.52pm. “All 120 passengers and eight crew members were safely disembarked and no injuries were reported. Jet Airways’ team provided prompt assistance and care to all the passengers,” the airline added.
